Bilingual program salvaged from International School

Muskegon school officials are picking up the pieces of the failed plan to open an "international school."

One of the pieces — a two-way Spanish-English immersion program — is set to open in the fall at Moon Elementary School as a more limited program than first envisioned.

The voluntary program will provide instruction primarily in Spanish for English- and Spanish-speaking students in kindergarten and first grade, with more grades added in future years. Officials had planned to offer the two-way immersion program in kindergarten through fifth grades at the International School of Muskegon, which had been planned at Steele Middle School.

But a lack of interest by parents prompted Muskegon school officials to drop plans for the International School, at least for now.

The other piece of the International School was an International Baccalaureate program for sixth- through eighth-graders. The current plan is to offer the rigorous, internationally-recognized curriculum at both Steele and Bunker middle schools next fall. Enrollment in the IB "Middle Years Programme" will be limited, and voluntary.

Officials had discussed opening the two-way immersion program at Nelson Elementary, but decided to offer it at Moon, where the district already provides bilingual classrooms for kindergarten through third-graders whose native language is Spanish. The principal at Moon is Kristina Precious, who had been principal of a two-way immersion K-8 school in Grand Rapids.

"Ultimately, what we're trying to do is make kids proficient in Spanish," Precious said. "It's preparing students ... for a global society, a global market."

Students will be taught all of their subjects primarily in Spanish. The "two-way" part of the immersion refers to the fact that students will be both Spanish and English native speakers, Precious said.

The immersion program will be offered to all students in the district, and transportation will be provided for free from anywhere in the district, said Linda Wierenga, executive director of elementary education for Muskegon Public Schools. Schools-of-choice students from outside the district can indicate their preference for the immersion program on choice applications, she said.

District officials are regarding the immersion program as a "long-term commitment," and are looking for a similar commitment from parents, Precious said. It will take several years for children to become proficient in Spanish, but there are significant benefits for starting when children are young, she said.

Children who learn a language before age 10 typically don't have an accent, and they are not self-conscious about their pronunciation as they learn, she said. Spanish-speaking students will have an easier time mastering subjects such as math when they're taught in Spanish, Precious said. They, as well as English-speaking students, will gain a greater appreciation of the Hispanic culture, she said.

And English-speaking students will have an advantage in the job market if they are fluent in Spanish, officials believe.

Wierenga said that's been the case when she looks at piles of resumes from people seeking teaching jobs.

"When looking for teachers, seeing they have efficiency in Spanish will put them ahead of others, at least in getting an interview for a job," Wierenga said.

Officials are planning to send brochures about the two-way immersion program to parents in the district. They're urging parents to sign up early to secure a spot. The district will have to start a waiting list if more students that can fill one class section -- but fewer than two sections -- sign up, Wierenga said.